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HomeBlogHow Apple may have used this Will Smith movie to block an...

How Apple may have used this Will Smith movie to block an App Store bill in the US – Times of India

Apple has reportedly been successful in blocking a proposed legislation in the US state of Louisiana that would have allowed developers to use alternative payment methods for their apps on the App Store. According to a report by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), the Cupertino-based tech giant has threatened to cancel the production of a film which was being made in the state to prevent the bill’s passage.
The legislation, which was introduced in 2021, aimed to address concerns about Apple’s fees for app distribution. However, the company that charges developers a fee to have their apps available to iPhone users opposed the bill and viewed it as a threat to its revenue stream, the report added.

How Apple used the movie to stop the bill from passing

As per the report, an Apple representative has warned Tanner Magee, a senior lawmaker in the Louisiana House of Representatives, that the company would halt production of the film “Emancipation” if the state proceeded with the app store bill.
Apple was filming the historical drama, featuring Will Smith as “Whipped Peter” — the ex-slave whose scarred back was famously photographed in 1863 — in Louisiana. The Apple representative reportedly indicated that the company would move the film’s production elsewhere, which would have negatively impacted the local economy, the report added.
Watch the upcoming movie’s trailer here:

Emancipation — Official Trailer | Apple TV+

“He basically said that if we didn’t kill the bill, he’d kill the movie and hurt our economy,” Magee told WSJ in a statement. However, an Apple spokesperson denied making any such threats.
In a separate statement to the WSJ, the Apple spokesman said: “We always operate with the highest standards of integrity, and allegations that we have not in this instance are false.”
Recently, Apple may have also used its influence to help block another proposed law in Louisiana. This law aimed to require the company to implement age verification for its smartphone users.
Earlier this year, Kim Carver, a freshman state legislator, told WSJ that Apple lobbyists bombarded him with “panicked” text messages when they discovered he planned to include an age verification requirement in a proposed bill which was aimed at protecting children from the dangers of social media and technology.

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